Because The Sky Isn't Blue
by Quesse Silme
Summary: DH-compatible. When Harry Potter’s most hated Potions professor dies in his arms, he ends up learning about the life of a bitter, lonely man; and an important lesson on the power of love.


Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I unfortunately do not own anything.

**Summary: DH-compatible. When Harry Potter's most hated Potions professor dies in his arms, he ends up learning about the life of a bitter, lonely man; and an important lesson on the power of love.**

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_**Because the Sky Isn't Blue**_

"Look at me."

He willed the boy to look at him, he needed to see, for one last time before his wretched soul left the plane of the living. The boy looked at him, a frantic expression on his face, his eyes growing big with a dawning horror and a deep-seated realization. But that didn't matter. The horrors, fates, and lives of those around him were insignificant, because now he could see. He fought off the creeping hand of death for as long as he could and ignored the seeping blood flowing thickly out of his neck, and the numbing pain that came with it. He let everything: the war, death, and bloodshed fall around him and dissipate into nothingness, so that he could focus on and stare at the deep sea of emerald green of the boy's eyes; the familiar eyes that brought him a comfort that he hasn't felt in a long time. The green eyes that were so much like his mother's.

_Lily_.

With a silent whisper of his beloved's name upon his cracked, dry lips, Severus Snape died in the arms of Harry Potter, and his soul has never felt more peace or satisfaction.

Severus was free at last.

- - 

"Do you want to play with me?" A young girl stood before him, both hands slanted on her hips, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a fresh scab on her knee. Her head of auburn hair lay cocked to one side in a friendly question.

Severus was settled on the ground, and he looked up at her in slight apprehension. Why would anybody want to play with him? He has no friends because the other children don't like him. They said he was different, and that he wore strange clothes. Sometimes they even said he smelled. So why was this girl asking him if he wanted to play? Maybe she was teasing him.

He narrowed his eyebrows at her. "Leave me alone."

The girl looked slightly taken aback, but persevered. "But I've got no one to play with because my sister Petunia is at the dentist and my mummy just got me these new toys, and I just wanted to share them with somebody, and you were there so I…" At the dark, brooding look on the boy's pale face, Lily gave up. She supposed that she was going to have to play alone. With a defeated sigh, she backed away, and made to turn around.

"Wait!" Startled, she turned back around to face the boy, who was quickly scrambling to his feet. He brushed off the dirt and grass that clung to his pants, and hurried over to her.

"Did you really mean that?" the boy asked. Severus felt a small light of hope spark in his chest, but tried to clamp it down. He needed to make sure she wasn't fooling around with him. He needed to know.

Lily looked at him in confusion. "Mean what?"

"That you wanted to play with me." As these words came out of his mouth, he felt foolish for uttering them. A seed of doubt began niggling its way through his mind, and he wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut. He looked down at his feet, and felt a red blush running across his face.

Lily looked surprised. "Of course I meant it! Why would I ask you to play with me, if I didn't mean it?"

The little hope that was in his heart burst into fireworks of joy. "Really?" He couldn't help the big, silly grin that popped onto his face. "You really mean it?"

Lily let out a sigh of exasperation. "Yes, you knobhead." Then, she walked away.

With a look of confusion on his face, Severus felt himself deflating, and a cold gloom settled over him, as she had abruptly turned around and left him.

_I thought she wanted to play._

After taking a couple of steps, and noticing that no one was following her, Lily turned around again.

"Well, are you coming?" Her hands were at her hips again, and she was tapping her right foot with impatience.

"Uhh, yeah! I-I'm coming!" After a few nervous steps, Severus ran after Lily feeling his heart lifting again. And with a big smile directed towards the sun, Severus ran to Lily Evans, feeling that this was the best day of his life.

- - 

Harry reeled back from the shock of seeing his old Potions professor and his mother playing together. He stumbled away from the stone basin of the Pensieve and sat down on the hard mattress of his bed. He dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes.

His mother, she was so small, beautiful, determined and fiery. His heart heaved with the heavy feeling of love that was tinged with sadness; a feeling that made Harry ache for his mother's love and maternal guide.

It was just like the first time he was confronted with pictures of his parents. Despite the loving friends and families that surround him and the substitute mothering of Molly Weasley, Harry had never felt more alone, bereft from the world, and lost like the orphan that he was.

And Snape. The teacher was nothing but cruel and spiteful to him throughout his school years. Harry would have never believed that Snape was connected to his mother. That they were _friends_. It was just too strange a concept to wrap one's head around. Harry shook his head and ran his fingers through his straggly hair. He needed to know more, and see more. With a determined spirit, he walked back to the pensieve, sat himself on the hard wooden floor, and poured the next silvery memory into the basin. With another deep breath, Harry plunged his head into the cool, silvery depths.

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A/N: It's painfully short for a first chapter, but I'd appreciate reviews nonetheless!


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